These are the words with which I open an article I wrote explaining binge eating disorder (BED), as part of the upcoming BED week, May 27-31.

These words describe the difficult feelings that plague those who struggle with BED. And the feelings can go much deeper than that, to increase risk for depression and even suicide.

BED is the most common eating disorder, afflicting over 80 million in the US alone. And that’s just the diagnosed cases. So many people who struggle with BED don’t realize the problem; instead they think they are weak-willed, unable to control themselves, or otherwise inadequate.

That’s hardly the case. Indeed, one of the reasons that so many suffer with BED is because of dieting. It takes incredible will to follow a diet, ignoring what is in part your body’s survival mechanisms that evolved over time to ensure survival of the human race. That is no small matter! Yet many (most?) people with BED diet over and over again, only to find in the long run that they just can’t do it. Few of us (any?) really can and stay healthy.

BED Week coincides with the release of the DSM-5, which is the first official recognition of BED as an eating disorder. Leading minds, activists and practitioners in the field will contribute. And the week is sponsored by leading organizations that know the importance of getting the word out about this devastating problem.